DRUG me

Hey y'all, I'm in pretty high spirits and here's why. I'm just starting to get interested in CLAMP's works and, being a yaoi connoisseur, I just had to check out "Legal Drug" from Tokyopop. To my dismay, I could not find the first volume...anywhere.

I was however, ecstatic when I popped into my fave USED bookstore and found not one, but the first TWO volumes of "Legal Drug" for $4.99 each (in not bad condition, mind you)!! Being a completest, I went and bought a new copy of volume 3, and that's why I am happy. It only cost me $20 for the whole (for now) series.

This manga is...nothing short of amazing. It's not Yaoi, and it's not quite Shonen-ai, but there is some element of Boys' Love in there to enjoy. This is one trippy fantasy manga. Our couple, so to speak, is Rikuo and Kazahaya. They work for a pharmacy where they have the option of doing "side-jobs" for extra money. These side-jobs are where the manga gets trippy. Kazahaya and Rikuo encounter strange missions where they have to retrieve symbolic objects, or just simply watch a movie. Observing how the events play out really pulls you deeper and deeper into the story.

CLAMP really shines when it comes to representing deep emotions and themes in their manga. Whereas most Yaoi manga I have read all seem to be quick and forgettable thrills, "Legal Drug" stuck in my mind after I finished the last page. It just offers something more beyond the budding romance and fantasy elements.

If you haven't yet got your hands on these volumes, I suggest you do so now. I was afraid I wasn't even going to find the first volume at all. So if you passed "Legal Drug" in the bookstore with nary a thought in mind, now's your chance to read a very fine manga.

P.S. For those who are wondering if CLAMP is going to continue this series or not, the buzz around the internet is that they ARE in fact going to resume production soon, most likely after they've finished "xxxHolic" and "Tsubasa"

Most Wanted Yaoi 2008

Hello All! (P.S. You can vote for as many titles as you like in the poll)

As I keep getting poorer and poorer, I tend not to splurge at the comic store for all the Yaoi that they stock. Instead, I like to read whatever reviews I find on the 'net to weed out the stinkers. Then, I look at all the titles I would probably enjoy and pick the best ones. I find this method helps me the best when I'm trying to save money. Here are some titles that sound reasonable and/or are must-haves for upcoming 2008 titles:

Of the "Coming Soon" DramaQueen" releases that most likely will come out this year, I would most likely get "Cage of Thorns" because of the hot banner on the DQ BL Portal. "Naked Jewels Corp." and "Worthless Love" also seem worthy of a purchase. Surprisingly, I'm not that interested in "Tyrant Falls in Love", so sue me!

Of the 801 Media titles soon to be published, both "Black Sun" and "Meeting You" caught my attention. "Black Sun" for me, is a definite must-have.

The Deux Press schedule looks alright with titles like, "Mister Mistress" and "Freshmen". It looks like their later releases improve with appeal.

From Kitty Media, every upcoming release seems to be a good one with, "Dog Style 2", "The Crimson Spell 2", and "Family" (by Yuuya). If nothing else, I will just get Kitty Media books for the rest of the year as they are cheap and also must-haves.

June always has a lot books announced but for now, only "Pathos" seems like a Best Bet.

Well, there's the rundown of my list of good, upcoming releases. I know this post may seem selfish, but you can use this information to save money and help you decide for yourself which books are worthy of your hard-earned cash, and which ones you just have to leave on the store shelf (or online catalogue).

Great Place High School

Let me start off by explaining the format of this book. Basically, the book is divided into four sections in this order: 4-panel comics, manga-style story, more 4-panel comics, and then a manga-style story. As a bonus, and this is rare for a June publication, there are 9 full-colour pages for you to enjoy! On the downside, the paper quality is noticeably lower than other books from this publisher.

There are many characters in this book and all the stories take place at this GP High School. The first couple introduced to us, is Ryouichi and Minami. Minami is the cutest little Uke I have ever seen and he is a beloved character in this book. This couples' story is told through the 4-panel comics and as such, the characterization and jokes are above average.

After the 4-panel comics end, and the manga-style story is introduced, the book loses me. These manga pages are devoted to an entirely new couple named Rin and Eichi, the heads of the student council. While they do interact with the members of the computer club, the story mostly centers on their strange behaviour and bizarre romance. This is a story I did not care for. Why would Koujima want to devote a manga-style story to two, totally undeserving characters?

However, when the 4-panel comics start up again, the book falls back to its hilarity and awesome characterization *within the computer club*.

Now, the Rin x Eichi stories aren't painful to read, the book just forces you away too quickly from the cute antics of Minami x Ryouichi and the other members of the Computer Club. In the back of the book, Koujima says that she loves to draw Rin x Ryouichi the most, so that's why they get special treatment.

If you want to sample Naduki Koujima's style, but you don't want to commit to her longer series, "Our Kingdom", you should get this book. It has a lot to offer the reader in terms of variety. There is only one or two soft sex scenes because this book mainly focuses on the characters' exploits.

You're My Love Prize in Re-licensing

Here's a little tidbit of news you may or may not have read about.

An article on manganews.net states that the re-licensing of the popular "Finder Series" is now underway. Since we've heard nothing about the release of our fave titles from Be Beautiful, we can now rest assured knowing that one of the wonderful series' will be published by a more responsible company. See that article here.

The article did not mention which company was going to get the license, and it's pretty much up in the air at this point. If this article is true, it gives me hope about the other titles that Be Beautiful has. Hell, I wouldn't mind even if Kitty Media started releasing "Embracing Love" (Gosh forbid), at least they publish books on time and on a regular basis. While it may be unfortunate about what happened to Be Beautiful (whatever it was), it is absolutely crazy to make fans wait more than a year for consecutive volumes of their fave series.

Be Beautiful has charged us the highest price for the most popular Yaoi without including any extras like colour pages and high-quality paper. It's about time other, more reliable companies took their licenses and really gave the fans what they wanted.

the image above has been slightly altered to save this blogger's ass, it is NOT the property of Men On Yaoi and any of its affiliates (i.e. Men On Humping, Men On Top Of Eachother)

Review and Other Stuff

I'm reading "I Can't Stop Loving You" Vol.1 by Row Takakura currently, and I really enjoy the art that I have been seeing. Admittedly, Yu, the Uke, looks very feminine (is that what gay guys call, "Femmy"?), but the Seme, Kyouji, is loads attractive with his long, flowing hair and big, masculine body. It was a real turn-on when a ghost possessed Yu and decided to ravish him by making him touch himself, very creative! The visuals are pretty, the story's an easy read, and it's the cheapest Yaoi you can get without stealing it.

On another topic, my last entry may have been a little grim, but I just felt that I have missed out on a lot of great non-Yaoi series. You see, I kept my manga obsession strictly to Yaoi. As my interest for reading Yaoi weakened, though, I have taken a shine to Shonen manga such as Death Note. Shonen means boy, and I'm a boy, so why not?

Reading Shonen manga again (I stopped when I discovered Yaoi) has brought enjoyment. There are way longer series than Yaoi could ever have and the progression of the story happens faster. Of course, in romance, things tend to slow down but as a male, I feel entitled to read some action series now and then.

I am also very happy that people have been discussing Yaoi in the comments section of some posts. I am sorry I have not posted many reviews, but it's hard for me to sit down and think about what I'm going to type about one book. Maybe I'll just mention bits and pieces about books I find along the way.

Wow, which direction am I headed?

I realize that this blog is called, "Men on Yaoi". Thus, readers presume Yaoi will be discussed from a male perspective. That hasn't happened very much at all, has it? I have posted 2 reviews so far from a point-of-view that doesn't really exist. You see, in my collecting of 70+ volumes of Yaoi, I still do NOT understand the genre. That is because-it's now painfully true-Yaoi is solely entertainment for women. There's really nothing there for men, gay or straight, at all.

I have some 70+ books I could review for you, dear readers, but I will say now which ones truly have touched my heart. These manga are: Virtuoso di Amore, Ichigenme Vol. 1, Only the Ring Finger Knows, and Poison Cherry Drive.

Virtuoso di Amore was my first foray into DramaQueen's quality BL line and still remains the only profound book of the bunch. The dark and complex plot coupled with the gorgeous art in painstaking detail made for the most dramatic night reading I've ever had.

Ichigenme Vol. 1 was my first book by Fumi Yoshinaga. It went beyond the typical Yaoi stereotypes and presented a wonderful story of an ACTUAL gay relationship progressing through law school.

Poison Cherry Drive seems like a strange choice, but it remains dear to me as my first ever explicit yaoi. Being that it had only some explicit sex, as well as weird jokes only a crazy person would understand, I know that I am in the minority on this one.

And saved for last is the most heartfelt Yaoi manga I've ever opened, Only the Ring Finger Knows. Way back when, I was at my major book retailer. There was only one Yaoi manga sitting on the shelf at the time. I picked it up instantly and found myself so enthralled, that it remains as one of the most memorable manga that truly stuck an arrow in my heart.

I won't be buying Yaoi like a lust-starved and hormoned-driven maniac anymore. I've just invested too much hard-earned cash on it. This was cash I made while toiling away serving customers thousands of ugly hamburgers and boxes upon boxes of greasy fries.

To all the readers of this blog, I urge you to spend your money more wisely and choose only the titles that mean something to you.

Say Please by Kano Miyamoto

This is is my first book from Deux Press and I have to say I am pretty impressed with their publishing quality. The cover art on this book is just beautiful and the paper is top-notch. Dialogue flows very well and the SFX are translated and placed next to the original japanese.

"Say Please" features two men named Sakura and Ryoichi who first meet at a brothel one night where it was supposed to be just a paid one night stand. The two men realize they have deep feelings for eachother and therefore start dating. Sakura has a troubled past that he wants to keep secret, but Ryoichi wants to find out more so he can help Sakura be a better person. It is a romantic yarn featuring the devoted Ryoichi and the somewhat scarred Sakura. There is also a short bonus story featuring a somewhat different plot, but similar characters to "Say Please".

Miyamoto really creates stories that make you care about her characters. Her art is sketchy, rather than pretty, and so her men look more on the realistic side of yaoi spectrum. It is a casual read and should not be taken very seriously. My only complaint about this book is that it did not include any full-colour pages for the $12.99 price tag.